Miller (in blue) had a torrid time in Singapore with some of the Slinger fans and walked straight off to the changing room at the final buzzer to cool off. (Photo 4 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
In the first semi-final playoff game between the Singapore Slingers and the visiting Satria Muda BritAma, a fan’s court-side taunt has led to Satria Muda’s centre Nakiea Miller exploding online in frustration.
After drawing a foul, a fan sitting right at court side taunted Miller with words like “boo hoo” and “don’t cry”. Miller reacted, saying “I’m going to get you after the game,” which led to the reply, “Come find me at Geylang with all the chicks,” triggering laughter from some fans.
Parts of Geylang are known to Singapore locals as a red light area.
Miller eventually fouled out of the game and his team went down to a 68-87 defeat.
The American import then posted the following on the ABL facebook page on February 1st:
“There are some people that just come to the game and enjoy the game. Than there’s fans like what happen in Detriot and Indiana few years back. Some Slingers fans that i did nothin wrong too just yelling at me like the lost they mind, but i cant respond, that aint me. respect me and i respect u. You guys telling ur si…des making sound like im some bad person! It take 2 to argue and im (sic) on the court u pay to watch a show and thats what i do!!! Everyone can holla at me on twitter @kiablood43!!!” (sic)
Miller’s teammate, Alex Hartman, also weighed in on the page and wrote about Slinger fans:
“…your fans are great, load and very roudy group, thats great. They also are rude with the worst mouths in the league. No other fans yell profanities or attack players as you guys. Once again I dont mind… but an Indonesian crowd has never stouped that low. And we have the best fans.” (sic)
The Slingers are flying into Jakarta this afternoon and the stage is now set for what could be an explosive game on Wednesday night, February 3rd, in Game 2 of the semi-final playoffs.
Satria Muda need to win to take the series into the a third game. If they win, the final game will be back in Singapore on Sunday, February 7th.
Alex Hartman has come out in support of his teammate online. (Photo 2 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
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Yup this two imports are right but they have to forgive the fan of Slingers..They are just happy because Slinges is their first and only Profesional basketball team and they made it to the playoffs..c”,)
There is no question that when Miller fouled out, he encouraged the Slinger fans to taunt him with waving of his arms in the air, putting his hand to his ear and responding to the taunts with taunts of his own. All he had to do when he fouled out was to keep his cool and sit down. He didn’t do that and so he drew more taunts. Wise up, Miller. Respond to it and you will only get more of the same.
this is one serious s**t, coming from the players itself, and to think the slinger moms always accuses other teams like patriots to play dirty.. i read the whole thing on fb, i like the part where miller complains on kyle whining and crying which reminds me on how his mom acts here on redhoops.. that gives me a bad picture..
to the slinger fanatics next time you treat the guest team like that on a playoff remember that they to have a chance to play on their own turf and believe me they will make sure the slingers will receive the same “hospitality”
@3star I wasn’t there but of course the fans know the slingers will receive the same hospitality. What we don’t expect is for the players, who are considered professionals, to have outburst like that. I’m pretty sure abuse is worse in leagues like the NBA/PBA. And those players take abuse like a pinch of salt. I thought players are so focused they don’t even hear such things.
And if the Slingers players behave like Miller behaved (and continues to behave) then they deserve to be treated like Miller was treated. But not to worry – they won’t. It takes a lot to rile up the Slingers fans. Maybe we could enlist Miller as a cheerleader?
Man, these guys give SMB a bad name!! SMB is such a good club, it was one of the clubs I really liked – still like, but what absolute wusses the imports turned out to be. They behave like they have never played professionally before. Why would any player taunt the crowd like that? Of course he is going to get booed – what a dumb mistake to make. He actually got the quietest crowd in the league to boo him loudly – everyone was just laughing at this guy.
Hartman has just perfected the art of acting and whining – somehow it is never his fault – he protests every single call. And to top it off he admits on facebook that he acts and flops – what a foolish thing to do. His post is so funny – he admits to flopping to get calls and the next second accuses Kyle of flopping!! this is after admitting that he does it in the first place!!! From where does he get his logic i wonder? And why would they come on facebook and get involved with the fans, they are actually calling the slinger fans losers and threatening the fans. I can never imagine the Slinger players getting into this sort of rubbish – am sure Arsego would give them hell if they ever did anything like this. What is the SMB coach doing? He should control these guys completely, and keep them focused on the game.
Completely agree with Gordon, I was shocked to see these guys responding on facebook. I thought pro players totally tune that stuff out. These guys have supposedly played overseas for so many years – and they got rattled by a mild crowd of 2800. Such strange behaviour from pros. Apparently the behaviour from SMB was so bad that they refused to join the slingers at brewerkz after the game. The Slingers traditionally host a dinner for the opposing team at brewerkz after every game – no matter what happens the opposing team always attends – how come these guys are such poor losers.
I don’t mind the slingers losing the next game and the series for that matter – but I seriously hope that these guys show some class for the next 2 games – forget about winning or losing – atleast make the ABL look like a professional league for crying out loud.
this stuff is to funny!!! oh yea GOOOO SLINGERS!!!
Well, it’s what we call home court advantage. The Slingers certainly fuel their energy because of their fans. Much like Barangay Ginebra Kings of the PBA — the last thing the opposing team to hear was the Ginebra chants from the crowd.
Even though it’s the fans that generate revenue and brings life to the league, there should also be a need for control, and given the factors such as the Slingers being their very first professional basketball team, the ABL is in its infancy, etc., I am pretty sure this will be addressed by the league. It’s part of the learning curve. Come on, even the PBA and NBA are taking steps control the crowd and the conduct of the players while keeping it entertaining despite that both leagues are in existence for decades.
First time i was in Singapore i able to watch PBA Team Ginebra VS Slingers, there is 1 filipino player that hit Jeffers, several minutes after, PBA player retaliate, and when he punch jeffers on his back and what everyone saw and the slingers fans get mad protest and boo the PBA player, but if you diagnose closely the games from 1-40 mins,you will see how both slingers imports do their tricks.
2. Patriots NEVER intimidate referees, while in fact the last encounter between Patriots and Slingers a nightmare,referee became slingers 6th man,,as a basketball fan i cannot stand watching the game with the kind of call against the visiting team.
3. KL dragons actualy frustrate the slingers crowd during their first encounter, they booed all the time, but Kuete only laugh at them and hitting free throws.
SMB or Patriots, destroy the Slingers at their home court.
@Hanoi-Piper Alpha Tragedy errr, Topic check, what does Nakiea Miller’s reaction to fans have anything to do with Patriots intimidating the refs? emmmm
This is funny, I have to agree it started as just one fan attacking Nakiea and him saying his peace his way, to people jumping on his every word. He is my teamate so I back him. You also jump on me its ok. I am a pro and would like to say this debate has gone way too far. May the best team win and I hope this debate only brings more fans to the game and to the tv to watch. Go SM
ya man, and kl dragons too!
but this is funny and to top it all, it came from the slingers, man, the slingers fans must be one hell of annoying and irritating fans LOL.
rudy got it first with “rudy sucks, rudy sucks” everytime he gets the ball.
well, in its first year, the league sure growth tremendously with all the fans getting involve more deeply with the team. for example, the last game between kl dragons and patriots at manila, with all the drums and stuff, compare it with their first few games, and now we got the slingers fans haha.
well i dont know the details regarding their conversation, but i doubt the fans went overboard and even if he did, miller should be a professional and dont be bother about it.
it just silly.
maybe abl should start implying rules on twittering and fb-ing just like the nba would? lol
@Mislan – I thought it was hilarious NBA started banning players from tweeting 45 mins before a game, during a game, and before they speak to reporters post-game. Brandon Jennings was fined like US$7,500?!
And then in EPL with Manchester United shutting down all their players’ facebook accounts recently was simply epic.
Enjoy the game in KL tonight – will be one helluva game! I was torn between going to Jakarta or KL tonight – both have equally good atmosphere and I’ve enjoyed myself thoroughly at both Jakarta and KL.
: )
all fans are like that just face the fact. anyway how do u know what the indonesian fans scream when u are not even an indonesian? all fans are like that.
that will separate which are inteligent fans and who are frustrated
players and fans must get used to this, its what basketball fandom is all about..it would be worst if you are in filipino hostile crowd.
you cant blame the slingers fans, its just their way of showing their support to their ball club. ALso remember how the slingers team where treated the same way on their own stadium while playing with the team from the philippines, it seems that they were the strangers with all the boo’s and i would never forget one slingers fan who almost had a bottle hitting on his head
…and which are intelligent players and which are just frustrated.
enough of this mumbling. To the satria muda, for you to win in jakarta, you must handcuff the point guard of the slingers. Its your only way to disrupt the slingers good ball movement and assists. Your team totally lacks on defence.
Huete and Sling fans, first time between Dragons vs slingers, the more he booed the more he scores, i seen him in taking free throws but he just wave his two to hands to fans..
Instead of players react to any fans, players must focus on their games and show what hes got, beat the hometeam..
@ J, i sat beside indonesian fans first time SMB vs Slingers, both fans are equally intense.
@ Nolah, Not slingers guardd.. To defeat Slingers by SMB, 2 things.
1. Good shooting from outside, i saw only hartman convert the 3pts in previous games.
2. Outrun the slingers and get more fastbreaks points.
H-TPAT (interesting name choice) is right on one point. If you want to silence the other team’s fans, it’s best to do it while you still have the ball in your hands. Once you have fouled out, it is a bit late.
If you let the other team’s fans know that you can be rattled, you can be sure the taunting will continue.
Ok, no idea that happened! I was just reading Fibalive plays.. then the Redhoops article… some nasty comments made by fans, said my peace.. sorry u no like 3star! I don’t think fans should ever boo or heckle any player on any team or yell at the Refs & that goes for the teams as well! It is unsportsmanlike & I for one over the years have gone to well over 1,000 live games or more & have unfortunately seen this behavior happen which disgusts me as I have never behaved that way at a game. The Players being heckled need to brush it off. The fans need to cheer their team on & not boo.. no matter what happens!! It can get heated though, yet I am sorry to hear that this happened. Bottles should not be allowed in any Stadium ever. Plastic is all that is allowed at any game here in the States. That can get real dangerous & out of control & no one wants to see any player, staff, ref, fan get hurt ever! SM has had a good environment & good players as do the Slingers, so I certainly hope that there are no issues at this next game.. Gooo Slingers!!
@3stars… u do not see correct picture at all do u? Ahh so that was Miller using the name Jake?? TY for letting me know… that certainly explains the Slinger fans heckles…. hahaha Peace Out!!
Love and peace everybody! Can’t we all just all get along?
I was there, Deana and I do know what happened. I posted this on another thread, but I feel compelled to repost it here.
This whole thing flared up when one player lost his cool after fouling out. It died down when that player sat down and shut up. It flared up again when that same player decided to go online with his ‘grievances’. The crowd was verbal, but under control. The player lost his cool. That’s it.
I’m not sure where this idea of a crowd out of control is coming from, but it’s totally erroneous. Stop and think about it for a moment. Rowdiness? Crowd control? Singapore? You’re kidding right? It’s hard enough just to get the Singapore fans to cheer and applaud their own team. A player lost his cool and the fans reacted verbally. The player still had not regained his cool by the time he went online with his ‘grievances’. That’s why this very thread exists. That’s all there is to it.
It’s not like WYNNE ARBOLEDA and the Burger King Whoppers in the house to begin with, taunting is relatively benign in Slingertown unlike the most exciting hardcourt action in the PBA, well my point is Nakiea and Alex has some justification regarding the issue of flops and referees.
Slingers are soft, muscle is needed and extra-physical defense is required up to these(Barangay Ginebra/Barako Bull or Burger King) type of defense, Patriots are relatively mild compared to PBA teams.
1. When you go to anybody’s home court, you expect the fans to back their home team.
2. Yes…attacks of a personal nature is not good behavior, but let’s face it, every home crowd has their elements of boorish fans and I submit that the Slinger home crowd is mild (or at the least no worst) compared to typical crowds in Indonesia or Philippines.
3. Players are Pros, take it with a pinch of salt. If you are targeted, that means you are doing something right for your team. By all means play your own psychological game and make reactions to the crowd by silencing them with your good play or goading them on with your actions…but keep these all on court. Calling a fan out with any “I’ll get you” type of reaction is not acceptable also.
4. Some Patriot’s fans on these posts are getting irritating. Please stop relating everybody else’s comments, back to how good the patriots are or how much better philippines basketball is, or how well behaved your fans/players/officials are. Many of us know d*mn well what it true and what is not, and there is life outside of the PBA, and there are bball fans outside the Philippines who have their own point of view.
5. The Slingers ARE NOT SOFT. As a fan and imho a fairly knowledgeable student of the game…I take offense at that remark.
Go slingers!!!!
After http://singaporeslingerblog.wordpress.com had published this news, seemed that Red Hoops are jumping onto the bandwagon.
Quotation from the legendary Jaworski:
“Kung Ayaw mong masaktan, mag-chess ka na lang”
(If you do not want to get hurt, go play chess”
What does Miller/Hartman’s action have to do with Slingers being soft and Patriots and PBA???? This thread is getting way way off topic
go slingers fans!!!
this just show how uneducated, rude, ill mannered, moronic, Singapore slingers fans are.
Singaporeans can only play basketball only if with imports.
@ Chris Clay, similar name play for Laguna in MBA?
You call those jeers?
I wonder how these players will react if becomes a Slingers fan….
xxxx exemplifies my point perfectly.
@xxx.. well, if that is the case, Baraccudas should be 2nd by now.. and judging by the hype that Rudy Lingganay (KL) is better than Al-Vergera, they should had been 3rd?
If basketball was ever about 1 or 2 players, then Satria Muda may had just beaten every other teams hands down. Do not forget, with only 1 pinoy, the Slingers beat the Patriots twice in regular season.
@fan- you are right! slingers have beaten the patriots with 2 american, 1 australian and 1 filipino import and 1 overated local player (flyboy, thats what they call them) and the other slingers local players whom i think more like football players rather than a basketball player against the patriots whom has 2 american imports and the below par performing local players (whom other asean nations can consider them as an import already).
1. Les, any idea if ABL games tonite will be air over ESPN?
2. No matter if your on top or bottom of the standing, what makes more important here is, after the season who will bring the inaugural trophy.
Slingtown Fan, Kelvin & the rest of you Slinger supporters!! TY for the insightful messages!! Appreciated very much! Goooo Slingers!!!!
@ Deana….no worries, maam. Just standing up for my team.
The opening threads were reasonable, like many level headed fans stated, it was about one fan heckling, and many over reaction (maybe not) from a player.
Then the crap started, and quite uncalled for…..
Typo – re-post
@ Deana….no worries, maam. Just standing up for my team.
The opening threads were reasonable, like many level headed fans stated, it was about one fan heckling, and maybe an over reaction (maybe not) from a player.
Then the crap started, and quite uncalled for…..
Jan!! Anyone know?? Is Redhops covering the game? Fiba does not say what is really going on at the game like Redhoops does… This is the playoffs!!! Goo Slingers!!!!
@Kelvin, Deana. Yeah, it was essentially one fan who provides court side entertainment for everyone with his monologues. Quite harmless really. He doesn’t swear or anything like that. He just needles the visiting players on court.
@hanoi – sorry, man. i don’t have cable. have no idea.
@mart – are you tempted to turn into a slinger fan?
@les,
“I wonder how these players will react if —– becomes a Slingers fan….”
I just left out the name of David Nye, the Channel News Asia Sportscaster. He was a colorful and very passionate fan of his alma mater during basketball games.
ABL fans, I was sitting courtside near the heckler in question at the Slingers-SMB game and would like to provide some objective perspective.
I have attended NBA and professional games in various countries, and this was not any different. Hometown fans want to have fun. The Slinger fans definitely were not rude. They were just doing their part as the teams’s “6th Man”. ALL teams should expect this support from their home fans. The fan’s chiding was good natured. There were families and kids around him. No cursing or mean-spiritedness occurred.
He simply finally got to a frustrated Miller, who wanted to play well and win the game, as all players do. The game was not going SMB’s way and he lost his cool. That’s OK. He’s human. However, I have to say, the best and only way to silence the home crowd is to play well and score — and to react playfully with the crowd. Not incite them further. You won’t win that contest. From SMB, I have also seen Alex Hartmann heckled, but he shrugs it off and silences the crowd by hitting several 3s in a row. That earns respect.
So lets chill out and enjoy the games and build the ABL up, and continue to be good home fans by distracting the visiting team. That’s our job. It is up to them to respond professionally to the challenge. Peace.
You were right Alex. Yes SM got a BEST FANS !!! No compare about Indonesian crowd
indonesian crowds are always crazy and passionate but they do say stuff about visiting players just that some of us wont be able to understand.
@j – you are quite right. Nobody on the slingers understands what they are saying. lol
Any visiting team should win the game, fair and clean..
@Dora: I got a feeling that they actually went into the stadium 4 hours earlier, have a heart to heart talk and said: Okies, I will let you have a chance to get back to Singapore to be jeered by the crowd once again. NM wipes the tears off his eyes and say: I aint gonna be a baddie in Singapore again.
*The above is fictional and if there is anything of that sort happening, totally coincidental.
The Singapore Indoor Stadium gonna rock on Sunday… And that is a promise!
the slingers ass got whooped thats all! the indonesian local stepped up while the slingers locals where playing like craps.
it will all be the same comes sunday, slingers fans (very few and most are expats) just cheer on them after a win, not after a loss.
yesterdays game was the lowest output of a team this season, total domination.